Queensland lab refused to test thousands of rape and murder evidence samples, inquiry told

Police inspector tells inquiry that 21,000 samples were deemed insufficient DNA for testing'

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A Queensland government-run forensic laboratory refused to test thousands of evidence samples from murder and rape crime scenes, arguing they did not meet DNA thresholds, an inquiry has heard.

Insp David Neville, manager of the Queensland police service's (QPS) DNA unit, told the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing that more than 21,000 samples - including almost a third from murder and rape scenes - collected between 2018 and 2021 were ruled insufficient DNA for testing" and never fully examined.

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